Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are toxic radicals generated by the process of oxidation during normal cell metabolism. Elevated or uncontrolled production of ROS is associated with a variety of diseases or disorders such as cataracts, heart disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases, male infertility, aging, and various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and aging. ROS often leads to damage of cellular macromolecules (nucleic acid, proteins and lipids), and thus inflict direct tissue damage. Antioxidants, such as those found in food and supplements, support human intrinsic antioxidative protection to maintain the internal oxidation status by various processes such as in situ regeneration of antioxidant molecules (vitamins and enzymes) or direct neutralization of oxidative compounds (Kohen & Nyska, 2002. Toxicologic Pathology 30: 620-650; Lee et al., 2004. Comprehensive Reviews of Food Science and Food Safety 3: 21-33).
There is thus a need for novel products having antioxidant properties.
The present description refers to a number of documents, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.